Peaceful Assembly
One major topic over the last few months has been the outcry from residents over the poor conditions of roads in Jamaica. This remains an ongoing issue, with citizens pleading for the government to fix the deplorable roads in the country, specifically those outside the capital city of Kingston. Several marches have taken place over the past few months all relating to this issue. Protesters included one popular Jamaican artist, commonly referred to as Popcaan, who asserted that a peaceful protest was one way of pushing government to see that residents are serious and are taking a stance.
In early September 2017, residents of the Granville community staged a large protest against the police department after there was reportedly a shooting involving the police that resulted in a man's death. Residents protested by igniting large fires and preventing access to the community by blocking roadways with “huge stones, tree trunks, old refrigerators, old motor vehicles and tires”. Many members of the community were outspoken about the manner in which a life was taken, namely how the man was shot while the police were executing a search warrant.